Also on this day in 1922, CKOC Hamilton (Ontario) went on the air with 5 watts of power. By the end of the year, they had 20 watts on 410 meters, sharing the wavelength with CFCU and CHCS. Since September 7, 2015, the station has been All Sports as TSN 1150. But, immediately prior, CKOC was Oldies with the syndicated Wolfman Jack show all nights and, until mid-2009, perpetual morning host John Novak, well known for his time on KGA Spokane during their one Top 40 year (1968 until early 1969) and CKXL Calgary immediately after.
In 1926, CFJC in Kamloops first signed on with 15 watts of power on 1120 KHz. Department store N.S. Dalgleish & Son and Weller & Weller Electric partnered to create the station to sell batteries and radio receivers from their respective stores. Studios were in a curtained off area of the second floor of the department store. Today, the station is CKBZ-FM, owned by Jim Pattison.
In 1929, Montreal's CKAC did its first baseball play-by-play broadcast from Delorimier Stadium.
In 1945, Alberta Government Telephones (AGT) assumed operation of CKUA Edmonton even though the cash-strapped University of Alberta still held the license, and continued to program three hours each weekday. Studios moved to the downtown Provincial Building, with another move ten years later to their long-time home in the Alberta Block in 1955. CKUA seemed doomed by the federal government's 1946 decision to disallow other levels of government to directly or indirectly be issued or to control a broadcast license. But the situation was completely ignored, allowing an FM license to be issued, and simulcast CKUA-FM to sign on June 28, 1948 on 98.1 MHz with 250 watts. Finally, on June 9, 1970, the ownership issue became a real issue, thanks to a federal government directive issued on that day. It led to the creation of the Alberta Educational Communications Corporation (ACCESS) which assumed control of CKUA and became holder of the license, from AGT and the UofA, respectively. The entire process took nearly four years.
In 1967, Southern Alberta was paralyzed by a three day snow storm, knocking out power and phone service to much of the area. CJOC Lethbridge stayed on the air for 72 hours, providing advice and emergency communications, winning the Canadian Association of Broadcasters "Station of the Year" award.
In 1970, CHNL Kamloops and CJNL Merritt (B.C.) signed on, with CJNL rebroadcasting CHNL most of the broadcast day. CHNL had 1000 watts on 610 KHz with the same directional pattern day and night. CJNL-1230 was non-directional with 1000 watts day and 250 watts night.
In 1976, the first broadcast transmissions from the CN Tower occurred. Both CBC-TV Toronto and CFTO-TV began broadcasting from there on that day. All FM stations shared a single tower, with the first on the air from there later in the month.
In 1980, CISL signed on for the first time at 6 a.m. on 940 KHz with 2500 watts. The station was licensed to Richmond (B.C.), moving to its current 650 KHz on July 1, 1984. Power was increased to 10,000 watts day and 7,500 watts at night, and the transmitter moved to the North shore of Boundary Bay in Delta from Lulu Island in Richmond, to improve signal quality in White Rock and Delta. But they moved back to Lulu Island in 1987, upping night power to 9000 watts and adding a synchronized (i.e. - also on 650 KHz) rebroadcast transmitter in White Rock with 100 watts, operating at night only. On May 8, 1996, the station and its FM, CKZZ-FM, were purchased by Standard Radio. Standard was sold to Astral in 2007, and the stations were sold to Newcap in March 2014, after Bell bought Astral.
In 1987, Jack Webster broadcast his last show, for 90 minutes on BCTV Vancouver. He moved to his farm where he passed away March 2, 1999. Talk Radio in Vancouver owes its existence to Jack Webster and Pat Burns.
Also in 1987, Moffat Communications had its application turned down to purchase CISN-FM Edmonton (Kissin' Country) from owner and former announcer Bob McCord. Shaw's purchase was approved just over a year later.
In 1988, Kitchener's CAP Productions officially became a division of Electrohome. Electrohome President Carl Pollock had been one of the partners for decades, but 1988 marked the year of a huge expansion through the acquisition of Edmonton's CFRN Radio and Television.
In 1995, the CBC AM network resumed 24 hour broadcasting, a practise they had discontinued in the late 1960s. CBC did, however, run all-night during much of the Gulf War in the early 1990s.
In 2000, CKBI-AM and CFMM-FM were granted a second FM license for Prince Albert (Saskatchewan): CHQX-FM on 101.5 MHz with 100,000 watts. Although the original owners were Central Broadcasting, they were later renamed Rawlco Radio Ltd.
In 2001, Corus' CKGY Red Deer (Alberta) switched to FM as "KG Country 95-5 FM". The station first signed on August 1, 1973 on 1170 KHz with 10,000 watts day and 5,000 watts directional at night. Newcap purchased the station and CIZZ-FM on August 10, 2005.
